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SMS Messaging
Every owner of a small or medium-sized
business will have experienced the
sinking feeling that comes when you
realise there are not enough hours in
the day to get everything done.Whether
you provide professional services, skilled
trades or form a vital link in another
company’s supply chain, there is always
the possibility that due to stretched
resources a call will not be answered, an
appointment will be missed or a service
engineer will turn up late.
Pressures like this can prevent a
business implementing more dynamic
and growth-focussed initiatives and lead
to unhappy clients/customers and lost
sales opportunities. In order to overcome
such obstacles, smaller businesses are now
adopting technologies that allow them
to automate processes, reduce costs and
improve efficiencies.
There was a time when technologies
such as CRM systems, resource planning
and business intelligence were the
domain of big organisations with large
IT departments. Now, as technology has
become more mainstream and broadband
connectivity is widespread, small
businesses can benefit from enterprise-
class applications. Everything from email
to accounting software has become
standardised for smaller businesses and
entrepreneurs.
SMS is part of this portfolio of business
tools, particularly the use of application-
to-person (A2P) messaging, which allows
businesses to send SMS messages directly
from their systems to a targeted database.
Businesses of all shapes and sizes can
deploy flexible SMS messaging solutions.
The process of installing, maintaining and
running an A2P system is affordable and
relatively simple. SMS communication
solutions can be operated by anyone who
knows their way around a PC.
Punching above your weight
SMS technology is beneficial to smaller
businesses with large customer bases but
relatively few staff and minimal resources.
Typically smaller businesses focus their
marketing communication through email,
phone calls and the internet. Now that
smartphone penetration is almost total,
mobile communications offer a low-
cost and well understood medium that
customers are familiar with and respond
to. As a customer engagement tool,
SMS provides businesses with a level of
immediacy and penetration unrivalled by
any other form of communication.
Small businesses can benefit
from SMS by the simple expedient
of deploying an SMS gateway API
(application programming interface)
that integrates SMS into a business’s
core communications. This can be done
by an in-house or outsourced software
developer cost-effectively, as an SMS
API does not require major coding to be
implemented. Message volumes can be
increased or scaled back depending on the
nature of the business or the requirements
of a particular marketing campaign.
Automating business processes
So, how does SMS introduce efficiencies
and cost savings for small businesses?
Take the example of an estate agent
having to contact a prospective buyer and
the owner of the property to confirm a
viewing. This requires a number of phone
calls to arrange. If the estate agent needs
to confirm multiple viewings across a
number of properties, many minutes
of their time could be taken up calling
interested parties. Yet, if the viewing
Keep your customers in the
loop with SMS
SMS message volumes have fallen for the
first time in their history, but, as Dr Pieter
Streicher explains, text messaging is still a
valuable means of communication for small
and medium-sized businesses
confirmation could be sent using an
automated SMS system, everyone could
be notified in a fraction of the time.
This could be applied to any number of
scenarios where manual processes could
be automated and streamlined so that
staff have more time to focus on their
core competencies. Events management
companies are using SMS notifications
to keep customers updated about trade
shows, sporting events, training days,
cultural activities etc.. Online businesses,
specialist retailers and even medical
practices are all using SMS to send out
alerts, promote reductions, drive customer
loyalty and encourage repeat sales.
Businesses involved in delivering field
services are using text messages to keep
customers in the loop, for example by
advising them of progress, arrival times
and any event that causes last-minute
changes to plans.
Ever more small businesses are
investing in SMS technology to generate
sales, improve customer service and
reduce operating costs. Using an API, a
business can implement a practical SMS
solution that allows it to interact with
customers, automate business processes,
drive efficiencies and claw back those
valuable hours that every small business
needs more of.
Dr Pieter Streicher is managing director of
BulkSMS.com, a leading SMS messaging
service provider offering two-way SMS
communication services straight from
your internet-enabled computer. The
BulkSMS gateway reaches across borders
and connects to over 800 mobile network
operators world-wide.
Dr Pieter Streicher,
managing director,
BulkSMS.com
